SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 23: Free safety Earl Thomas #29 of the Seattle Seahawks intercepts a pass against tight end Blake Jarwin #89 of the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth quarter at CenturyLink Field on September 23, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
With Ricardo Allen now out, the Atlanta Falcons should be all-in on making a trade for Earl Thomas.
The Atlanta Falcons have been thinned by injuries on the defensive side of the ball already this season, with free safety Ricardo Allen (torn Achilles) the latest to go down during Sunday’s game. Strong safety Keanu Neal is already out for the season with a torn ACL suffered in Week 1, so Atlanta has to be placing a call to Seattle soon to inquire about Earl Thomas.
Thomas was mysteriously absent from two Seahawks’ practices last week, but he played on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys and had two interceptions. He is clearly still not happy with the Seahawks, as they refuse to give him a contract extension. But he expects to be fined for his practice absences, and Thomas said Cowboys coaches came up to him before Sunday’s game and asked if was ready for a trade to come on Monday.
“Even pregame, a couple Cowboys coaches came up to me, I don’t know if they were playing psychological games, but they were like, ‘You ready for the trade tomorrow?’”
The Falcons allowed 396 passing yards and three touchdowns to Drew Brees on Sunday, after allowing 335 yards and three touchdowns (with an interception) to Cam Newton in Week 2. They clearly need some help in the secondary, and without both starting safeties now that need is even greater.
Falcons head coach Dan Quinn was Seattle’s defensive coordinator in 2013 and 2014. Thomas earned the latest of his three first-team All Pro honors in 2014, and a similar defensive system in Atlanta should allow him to step right in a play effectively.
The Falcons could stay with who they have, or look to the free agent market (Eric Reid? Mike Mitchell?) for safety help. But if they can make it work under the salary cap, with him making what’s left of $8.5 million over the rest of this year, Thomas would be a perfect fit.